Letting Go
by xTheTwilightPrincessx
Summary: Post Twilight Princess. Oneshot. Link needs to let go of the past. A certain girl helps him to do so.


**I'm not really sure what to say here…read and enjoy. :)**

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Link sat on the hard wood floor of his house, staring into the glowing orange fire. The fire reminded him of her flaming orange hair…"_No_._ Don't think about her_." He scolded himself. 

Just the thought of her made him depressed. He knew he should move on, but he just couldn't. It was too hard.

"_What? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" She teased. How happy he was to see her alive…But then…_

"_Link, I…see you later." She said._

"_No, don't go!" Link cried. But it was too late. She was gone. And he would never see her ever again._

Just then, a soft knock came from the door, bringing him back from his memories. He sighed. "Come in." he said wearily.

The door opened slowly, and Ilia walked in tentatively, shutting the door behind her. Link looked up at her, somewhat surprised to see her.

"Oh, hey Ilia." He said with a small smile. She smiled back at him.

"Hello, Link." She replied. Link patted the floor next to him, and she sat down. It was quiet for a few moments, the crackling of the fire being the only sound.

"I've been worried about you lately." Ilia said suddenly, breaking the silence. Link looked somewhat confused.

"Worried about what?" he asked.

"I don't know…ever since this whole adventure ended, you just…haven't been the same person. You're acting different. Sort of…distant. I feel like I don't know you anymore." She explained.

Link looked into the fire. "This whole crazy journey has changed me in so many ways. I will never be the same person I was before." He turned to look at her. "But I'm still Link. And no matter what, you will always be my best friend."

Ilia smiled brightly, and Link returned the smile. There was another, more comfortable silence. Ilia noticed a small, brown book sitting on the table, and stood up.

"What is this?" she asked, picking it up. She flipped it open. The pages were filled with Link's handwriting.

"Oh, that's nothing." Link said quickly, jumping up and taking it from her. Ilia looked taken aback.

"I'm sorry…" she said uneasily.

"No, it's okay. That was rude of me to snatch it from you like that." Link responded.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ilia asked. Link sighed.

"I…I'm not sure. I just have so much on my mind right now…" He trailed off. Ilia nodded for him to continue.

"Well, you see, I couldn't have gotten through this whole thing alone. I had help from a…friend. Her name is Midna. She is the princess of the Twilight Realm."

Ilia looked surprised. "What happened?" she asked.

"After Ganondorf was defeated, she had to return to her homeland. And…she destroyed the only portal that existed which led to the Twilight Realm. So there isn't even the slightest possibility of me seeing her ever again." He explained.

Ilia looked down. "Do you love her?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know." Link replied truthfully. "Sometimes I think I do, but other times…I'm not too sure."

Ilia nodded. "I see." She said, as she looked up at him.

Link sat down on the floor again. Ilia sat next to him, looking sadly at him.

"Link, as much as this may hurt, the reality is that you won't see her again. You need to let go of the past. If you dwell on it, on her, you will only bring yourself pain."

"I know. I can't help it though." Link replied, looking away. Ilia took his hand in hers, making him look back at her.

"Just know that I'm here for you, and always will be." She said with a small smile. "If you ever need to talk about this, I'm willing to listen. This may take a long time to heal, but it will heal eventually."

Link smiled warmly at her, and squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Ilia."

Her smile broadened. "Hey, what are best friends for?"

Link gazed into her eyes, still smiling, hands still intertwined. His stomach churned. Why was he feeling this way? It was only Ilia…only his best friend…Didn't he love Midna? Or did he love someone else? He wasn't sure, but he knew he would figure it out soon enough. And, as he had finally realized, he wasn't alone. He had Ilia.

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**The end. Not as long as I wanted it to be, but then again, none of my fics are. This is the closest to LinkxMidna I have ever—and will ever—get. But it's really not LinkxMidna. I think there are more than enough of those around here. -.- I like this one though. I think it's realistic of Link's feelings and reactions. Most people tend to forget that Ilia is, in fact, Link's best friend.**


End file.
